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Richie Kohler

Richie Kohler

Text by Jaclyn Mackey Photos by Michael C. Barnette, William Richie Kohler Barney, and Richie Kohler One of only four men in the world to have been to the wreck of the RMS Titanic and physically dived the interior of the equal- ly tragic vessel, HMHS Britannic, is the American underwater explorer and author Richard Kohler. Internationally known for exploring some of the most challenging and dangerous on Earth, Kohler has pursued his passion for and maritime history since the early ‘80s. Indeed, his explorations have helped to locate and identify many lost vessels, such as U-215, the minelaying submarine on the Georges Banks off Nova Scotia, as well as USS Murphy, the WWII destroyer lost off the New Jersey coast. Kohler’s endeavors have led to features in television and film documen- taries, a best-selling book, by , and the History Channel’s television series, Deep Sea Detectives, for

WILLIAM BARNEY which he is co-host. Forecastle of HMHS Britannic. The , discovered by , is the largest passenger liner accessible to divers. Jaclyn Mackey inter- viewed Kohler to gain JM: Tell us what it was like to start diving sons at the local YMCA and brought me would take me diving with him and on a insights into this pio- and what pushed you to continue. with him to observe. As I watched him go rare occasion, allow me to go solo, tying neer’s extensive expe- below the surface of the pool with a dou- a rope around my waist and letting me RK: When I was about eight years old, the ble-hose regulator, I was amazed. Later dive from the back of our family boat. I rience and passion for American space race was in full . I that summer, my dad put the tank on me was officially certified at 15 years old, but exploring deep ship- recall watching Neil Armstrong walk on and allowed me to try first in it would be years before I would see and wrecks. the moon, and like many other kids, I our small family pool, and then later in the explore my first real shipwreck. My early wanted to be an astronaut. That same ocean. years of diving were about , summer my dad took scuba diving les- Over the next few summers, my dad collecting lobster, and enjoying being LEIGH BISHOP Deep wreck explorer Richie Kohler

51 X-RAY MAG : 77 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO At 400-feet deep, exploring the Britannic is “at the limit” of profile technical diving. Richie Kohler

training or classes. Knowledge group we came up with the more and know-how was passed from respectable name for our gang— the older, more experienced The Atlantic Wreck Divers. Almost divers and captains every one of the group was much down to the “greenhorns,” if you older and more experienced than were lucky and social within a me, and they took me under their group. When there was an acci- wing, helping me choose the right dent or an issue, it was discussed gear and teaching techniques and dissected among our group, and philosophies that would and lessons were sometimes help keep me out of trouble and tragically learned. Equipment was hopefully alive. Through the years, adapted and sometimes cus- I have had many other incred- tomized for the diving we were ibly talented and experienced doing, which at the time was way instructors help me along, from beyond the accepted norms for mixed gasses and onto numer- . ous certifications, and dives and air every one of them are a part of dives to depths over 200ft (61m) I have become. earned us the nickname the “Crazies” and “Thugs,” but as a JM: You’ve had a public life in TV, WILLIAM BARNEY

underwater. Here it is almost 40 This was at a time when having a would give way to the years later, and I am still as enthu- submersible gauge was equipment, the closed-circuit siastic and excited about the an option, and there was no such rebreather. Of course, using air next dive I am about to do as I thing as a BCD or . changed to in the late was when I was eight years old. It As the years went on and I ‘80s, for even deeper div- does not really matter to me if it is went farther offshore and deeper ing in the ‘90s, and with the turn a 400ft (122m) shipwreck explora- in pursuit of shipwrecks, my equip- of the century and the use of my tion, a 100ft (33m) lobster dive, or ment changed. Moving into the rebreather, I often use for a winter bottle dive in the local deeper, colder water of the North deep dives. I can only imagine rivers and bays. I love it all, and I Atlantic, I quickly changed my where we will be in another 10 am happy when thinking about or for a drysuit so I could be years! planning for a dive! more comfortable and spend longer times diving. When the JM: Who were the individuals you JM: How long have you been aluminum 80 cylinders came into respected? Who inspired you? diving and how has your diving vogue, I quickly changed from evolved? Touch on some techni- the steel 72 because getting eight RK: When I was 15, I became a cal aspects about equipment extra cubic feet of air is always a junior scuba diver and the follow- and gas. good thing! Soon I banded them ing year a basic (adult) scuba together and was diving with diver. My instructor in Florida was RK: Next year will be 40 years that double aluminum 80s. Paul Heinerth, a then young mav- I have been a certified scuba The introduction of steel 120 erick cave diver who would go diver, and in that time, I have tanks once again had me chang- on to garner a name for himself in seen incredible leaps and bounds ing to add even more air on my cave exploration and technical in the sport I have grown to iden- back, for longer and deeper diving. I am sure I made him a lit- tify with so much. I was originally dives. If you look at it linearly, it tle gray in those classes. trained on both the double-hose was 72-80-160-240 cubic feet of A decade later, I was learning regulator and the then new- gas on my back over a 25-year to dive wrecks in the New York fangled single-hose regulator. period, but even that eventually area but there was no official WILLIAM BARNEY Britannic is intact except for a break forward of the bridge.

52 X-RAY MAG : 77 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO The break area forward of the bridge of the Britannic is where divers access the profile interior of the wreck. Richie Kohler

RK: In 2005, we documented new evi- project a huge and expensive under- dence and parts of Titanic’s hull that taking to dive 2.5 miles (4,023m) down changed the way some experts saw to the bottom of the Atlantic. Once the break-up and sinking of the ship. It on the bottom, the water is freezing centered around an engineering fea- and the seafloor lifeless, much like a ture called an expansion joint. moonscape. The wreck is twisted and The theory was that these joints were broken and the fact this is a mass grave flawed and may have caused Titanic for 1,500 people is never far from you. to break up during the flooding, in On the other hand, Britannic is rela- effect causing it to sink sooner and fast- tively shallow and at 400ft (122m) can er. In order to see to test these theories, be visited by divers. The water there is we needed to go to Titanic’s sister ship, warm, blue, and very clear. The wreck the HMHS Britannic (which had sunk is encased in colorful sponges and off a Greek Island under mysterious cir- marine growth while shoals of fish at cumstances during WWI) to make com- times block the visibility. Where Titanic parisons between the two ships. This is cold, dead and broken, Britannic is Britannic expedition was planned for alive and very much intact. 2006 and would really have an effect If it was just for the visual, it’s easy to on me. understand why a diver for Britannic When exploring Titanic, you are would hold such allure, but there were crammed into a submersible, the entire many unanswered questions and a

WILLIAM BARNEY

film, and books. Explain how that fate had another plan for me. After ter ship Britannic. This would lead to came about. the airing of an Emmy-award win- another book, Titanic’s Last Secrets ning documentary, Hitler’s Lost Sub, by Brad Matsen, but lit the passion RK: Until 1990, I had been like most a NOVA film detailing the explo- for me to spend the next 10 years of folks, working a job during the week, ration of the submarine, my div- my life trying to solve the mystery of and diving for fun on the weekends ing partner and Britannic. and holidays. Up until 1990, diving I received a phone call from the Along the way there were many the Andrea Doria was the highlight executives at A&E television in New other films and projects on lost of my diving experience, and almost York City. They had seen the docu- American submarines, destroyers every summer I would book every mentary (and us) and wanted us to and U-boats. Probably the most spe- trip I could afford to get back out work for them on a new television cial for me was working alongside to the Mount Everest of shipwrecks. series about diving and underwater famed underwater explorer Dr Bob All that changed with a virgin ship- mysteries. Ballard, which culminated in correct- wreck, one that no government, his- We had never acted or been on ing fractured history and allowing a torian or expert could explain. television before and were stunned, WWII sea captain to receive his due The work to identify the subma- but somehow the program Deep honors (posthumously) in an award rine was very deep and the diving Sea Detectives was a success for ceremony at the US Pentagon. This dangerous. It would tragically take the History Channel with six seasons was one of my prouder accomplish- the lives of three of my friends and (56 episodes). This, of course, pro- ments as a shipwreck explorer. change my life. That story is well vided numerous other documentary documented in the New York Times projects around the world, the most JM: Discuss your involvement with bestselling book Shadow Divers by famous being our self-funded expe- Titanic, Britannic, U-Boat Malta, the Robert Kurson, and I always thought dition to Titanic in 2005 and subse- challenges you faced, the triumphs, this was the end of the story. But quent 2006 expedition to Titanic’s sis- etc. RICHIE KOHLER Kohler’s early years diving the infamous wreck of Andrea Doria yielded a large cache of silver.

53 X-RAY MAG : 77 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO In 2005, Kohler led an expedition to Britannic’s profile famous sister RMS Titanic. Richie Kohler RK: In 2015, I met the mem- cations and video feed, as well as extra I am a nerd at the core who wants to bers of the U-Group aboard gas in case of an emergency. be part “Indiana Jones” and part Neil their amazing research ves- Although low-tech compared to the sub- Armstrong. It is not so strange when I sel the U-boat Navigator. mersibles and the ROV, the consider that in school, both science and Partnered with the Russian was a vital tool for the diving component history were my favorite subjects. In the Geographical Society, the of the project, made the dives safer, and early years, researching shipwrecks came 30m vessel had two submersi- the long six-hour decompression phase easily when motivated by finding arti- bles (a three-person Triton safer. facts or virgin wrecks. It became harder and a one-man prototype when the work spanned years of effort, Triton); a Perseo ROV; a six- JM: What does exploration signify to you? like on the mystery U-boat off New Jersey person hyberbaric cham- Why is this your passion? or even the past decade of work on ber and a diving bell. The HMHS Britannic. It’s easy to become dis- U-group had been filming RK: I have been drawn to the darkness tracted and give up, going after easier Britannic for a feature length of caves, shipwrecks and deep water for goals. To stay the course, I have always film and we agreed to work as long as I can remember. Like the thrill I focused on the human aspect of a ship- together on our planned get from riding a motorcycle or downhill wreck. It becomes personal and sharp- 2015 and 2016 expeditions. skiing, it is hardwired into who I am as a ens the focus of the “why.” In working with submersi- person, and at heart, I am an adrenaline For me, the human connections will bles, ROVs and the diving bell junkie. But there is a cerebral side to the always be the most poignant and the at depth, it was clear to all rush of adventure I get diving. For me real reward is when what we do as divers involved this seemed like a that is not only the technical aspect of can make a real difference in someone’s scene from the science fic- gasses and buttons and shiny chrome life. ■ tion movie, The Abyss. Using gadgets, but the stories and unanswered scooters, our dive team cir- questions, the research, and the historical For more information about Richard cumnavigated the largest documents that complete the package Kohler and his book, Mystery of the Last passenger shipwreck in the of exploration. Olympian, go to: Bestpub.com. world, while film- ing the wreck and being escorted and watched over by some of the most advanced underwa- ter equipment avail- able. Upon surfacing from a dive, direc- tor of photography Evan Kovacs com- mented that our dive “seemed like some-

RICHIE KOHLER thing from science fiction”, to which I mystery to be solved here as well; What due to its remote location. At times, the answered, “No Evan, it’s science caused her to sink and why did she bureaucracy protecting the wreck can fact!” sink so fast? I once again found myself be as daunting as the dive itself. It would Of all the equipment aboard obsessed with another shipwreck mys- require a team approach over a dec- the Navigator, the most basic tery, one that would take a decade of ade of expeditions to finally solve the was the diving bell, an underwa- my life to solve, and the tragic cost of mystery of the Britannic. ter elevator or lift, with a clear one of my friend’s lives. It’s not only that acrylic dry bell that divers could diving to 400ft (122m) is an incredibly JM: Explain the “Science Fiction is stand up in and be out of the challenging technical dive, but logisti- Science Fact” theme. water. The bell provided a safe cally the wreck is difficult to access habitat with real-time communi- MIKE BARNETTE Richie Kohler on the deep wreck of HMHS Britannic

54 X-RAY MAG : 77 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO

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